01-25-2010, 12:42 AM
The vision for the lakefront is an old one. There are so many plans and studies that have been done over the last 20 years that pretty much say the exact same thing it is literally sickening. How many different ways can you say "Riviera of the Midwest"?
When ULI rolled into town under Dan Drew's guidance, everybody thought we've finally got things going. And the subsequent award winning SOM master plan that further developed the ULI recommendations was certainly a step in the right direction to create the much needed credibility to actually give the endeavor some legs.
Our esteemed leaders adopted the SOM plan as part of the master plan for development for the City of Waukegan, therefor making it a standard we all can stick in the ground and hold sacred.
But that is where everything stopped, because since then the courage and determination required to take the next few steps - actually excuting council approved TIF development dollars stalled on the desks of Robin Schabes and Ray Vukovich. So the 20 year plan of ULI; now in its 8th or 9th year; has virtually taken ZERO steps forward to the realization we all felt so confident about.
I'll submit that Ray Vukovich and Robin Schabes are solely to blame for the lack of development in Waukegan over the last decade.
Robin Schabes was hired at a 6 figure salary to be the economic development director of the City over 5 years ago. Can anyone; ANYONE; prove with even the smallest of recognition we are better off now than prior to her hire?
Ray Vukovich, whose job as Director of Governmental Services should be limited to the insurance that our City departments run smoothly, weaseled his way into every development deal that has been hatched within Waukegan over the last 10 years. How well has that worked for us?
Everything is a settlement in this town; we have become resigned to taking what we can get with subpar and under qualified people at the helm.
When ULI rolled into town under Dan Drew's guidance, everybody thought we've finally got things going. And the subsequent award winning SOM master plan that further developed the ULI recommendations was certainly a step in the right direction to create the much needed credibility to actually give the endeavor some legs.
Our esteemed leaders adopted the SOM plan as part of the master plan for development for the City of Waukegan, therefor making it a standard we all can stick in the ground and hold sacred.
But that is where everything stopped, because since then the courage and determination required to take the next few steps - actually excuting council approved TIF development dollars stalled on the desks of Robin Schabes and Ray Vukovich. So the 20 year plan of ULI; now in its 8th or 9th year; has virtually taken ZERO steps forward to the realization we all felt so confident about.
I'll submit that Ray Vukovich and Robin Schabes are solely to blame for the lack of development in Waukegan over the last decade.
Robin Schabes was hired at a 6 figure salary to be the economic development director of the City over 5 years ago. Can anyone; ANYONE; prove with even the smallest of recognition we are better off now than prior to her hire?
Ray Vukovich, whose job as Director of Governmental Services should be limited to the insurance that our City departments run smoothly, weaseled his way into every development deal that has been hatched within Waukegan over the last 10 years. How well has that worked for us?
Everything is a settlement in this town; we have become resigned to taking what we can get with subpar and under qualified people at the helm.